Slat sorters are well known in the art and are used to rearrange a single file line of articles on a conveyor into a preselected array of articles positioned across the width of the conveyor. Such sorters are used for example to rearrange articles into a desired pattern for delivery to the in-feed of a palletizer. As higher throughput rates are required of all material handling systems the throughput rate of a slat sorter must be increased as well. In order to accomplish this, some elements of the slat sorter must be redesigned to accommodate the higher speed of operation. For example, the switches in the sorter which divert the platens to a desired position must be designed to switch from a straight-through position to a divert position, and vice versa, in a minimum amount of time in order to handle the increased speed of the platens without creating a jam, or missed divert situation. As the speed of the slat sorter increases, the wear of the individual components likewise increases, and accordingly, the components should be designed to operate with minimized wear and to be easily removed and replaced when replacement is necessary.